Water in the Morning

Water in the Morning

The a.m. is the best time to water the lawn because the air is cooler and there's usually not much wind to blow the droplets. In the middle of the day, water evaporates too quickly. And in the evenings, water can cling to the blades of grass overnight, which can cause lawn diseases. "My pet peeve is when people water at six o'clock or later in the evening," Maurer says. "The water sits there and promotes fungus. A wet lawn at night is the perfect condition for fungus to grow." Along with mowing the grass too short, he says, watering at night is about the worst thing to do for a lawn.

Homeowners who can't water in the mornings before work should do it on a weekend morning, he advises. "The best time is early in the morning: 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.," he says.

Soak 6 Inches Into the Soil

Soak 6 Inches Into the Soil

Water long enough to moisten the soil about 6 inches down, which is the depth of a healthy grass root system. To see how far the moisture seeps down, check the soil every 15 minutes during the first watering. "The best way to test is to take a shovel and lift up the sod," Maurer says.

Time how long it takes the water to work its way that far into the ground, then water for that duration every time you turn on the hose. "Each lawn has different soil. You have to water for your property," Maurer says.